Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) Shares Down 0.3%

The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) dropped 0.3% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $161.71 and last traded at $162.30. Approximately 857,757 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 87% from the average daily volume of 6,559,804 shares. The stock had previously closed at $162.72.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PG has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Argus boosted their target price on shares of Procter & Gamble from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 25th. Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $168.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Procter & Gamble from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Procter & Gamble from $175.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 22nd. Finally, BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of Procter & Gamble in a report on Monday, June 24th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $187.00 price target for the company. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $170.72.

Procter & Gamble Stock Up 0.4 %

The company has a market cap of $385.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.52, a P/E/G ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $165.60 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $158.89.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) last issued its earnings results on Friday, April 19th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.42 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $20.20 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.43 billion. Procter & Gamble had a return on equity of 33.91% and a net margin of 18.00%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.37 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Procter & Gamble Company will post 6.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Procter & Gamble Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 19th were issued a $1.0065 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 18th. This represents a $4.03 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.46%. This is an increase from Procter & Gamble’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.94. Procter & Gamble’s dividend payout ratio is currently 65.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 28,369 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.49, for a total value of $4,581,309.81. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 11,507 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,265.43. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, insider Balaji Purushothaman sold 28,369 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.49, for a total value of $4,581,309.81. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 11,507 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,265.43. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Moses Victor Javier Aguilar sold 9,149 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $167.72, for a total transaction of $1,534,470.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 12,929 shares in the company, valued at $2,168,451.88. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 154,544 shares of company stock worth $25,413,051. Insiders own 0.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Advantage Trust Co bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Wyrmwood Management LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Naples Money Management LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in Procter & Gamble in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Procter & Gamble by 64.7% in the 1st quarter. Ruedi Wealth Management Inc. now owns 196 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the period. 65.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Procter & Gamble Company Profile

The Procter & Gamble Company provides branded consumer packaged goods worldwide. It operates through five segments: Beauty; Grooming; Health Care; Fabric & Home Care; and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment offers conditioners, shampoos, styling aids, and treatments under the Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essences, Pantene, and Rejoice brands; and antiperspirants and deodorants, personal cleansing, and skin care products under the Olay, Old Spice, Safeguard, Secret, and SK-II brands.